LG’s answer to Apple’s Pro Display XDR monitor for creative professionals is finally available to order. Though LF’s 32-inch UltraFine Display Pro OLED monitor is slightly more affordable than Apple’s first-party solution, it still commands a steep price. Retailer B&H Photo Video, which is listing LG’s professional screen, is selling the panel for $3,999.
The might sound insanely expensive — and it is — but don’t forget that Apple’s Pro Display XDR costs $1,000 more.
Though both displays come in a 32-inch screen size, there are some notable differences when comparing LG’s option to Apple’s Pro Display XDR. The most important difference between the two is the underlying screen technology. Whereas Apple relies on more than 10,000 mini-LEDs, LG’s panel uses OLED display technology.
The company claims that the OLED panel helps the monitor to achieve VESA Display HDR400 True Black and HDR10 specifications, as well as a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Color accuracy, according to LG, is listed at 99% of the AdobeRGB color space and the wide DCI-P3 spectrum. Strangely, LG’s site lists the monitor at just 250 nits, which seems very dim for such an expensive monitor.
As this monitor is designed for creative edits rather than gaming, you’re getting a 60Hz refresh rate. LG claims that the panel’s gray-to-gray response time is 1ms. Still, the panel offers robust connectivity options, including USB-C, DisplayPort, and HDMI ports to hook up a Mac or MacBook to the panel. An adjustable stand is included with the purchase of the panel.
The OLED UltraFine joins LG’s prior displays made for Mac creatives. In the past, LG had relied on LCD screens resulting in lower costs, but the price premium here means that you should be able to benefit from more contrast, better color saturation, richer blacks, and brighter whites on the screen due to the company’s switch to OLED. The UltraFine OLED panel also comes with an anti-glare coating to help reduce eye strain. When it was announced earlier this year at CES, Digital Trends awarded the UltraFine OLED Pro as a top tech from the show.
Even though PC owners can connect their desktops and laptops to LG’s UltraFine monitors, these panels are more ideally suited for the Mac. In our prior review of the non-OLED model, we found that LG’s minimalist approach to the UltraFine design means that the monitor is largely devoid of buttons for screen adjustments, relying instead on software control through the Mac. If you use a PC, you may again be limited to what granular adjustments you can make for color, saturation, brightness, and other settings.
For comparison, LG’s UltraFine 4K display retails for $699 on Apple’s online store, while a larger UltraFine 5K display is listed at $1,299 — you really are paying a hefty premium for OLED technology with this new Pro model. At the time of writing, Apple’s online retail store does not have a listing for LG’s UltraFine 4K OLED monitor; LG’s online store shows the panel as being out of stock.